"It's an honor for me to join Porsche at its return to the top category in Le Mans and in the sports car World Endurance Championship and be part of the team," said Webber in a statement on his website.

"Porsche has written racing history as a manufacturer and stands for outstanding technology and performance at the highest level.

"I'm very much looking forward to this new challenge after my time in Formula 1.

"Porsche will undoubtedly set itself very high goals. I can hardly wait to pilot one of the fastest sports cars in the world."

Webber has already experienced the 24-hour race at Le Mans after racing there with Mercedes in 1998 and 1999.

His first attempt ended after just 19 laps, while he somehow escaped injury the following year after his car was tipped over while he drove at a speed of 200mph.

"I'm very pleased to have secured Mark Webber for our LMP1 project as one of the best and most successful Formula 1 pilots of our time," Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG said in a statement Thursday.

"Mark is without doubt one of the world's best race drivers, he has experience at the Le Mans 24 hour race and on top of that he's been a Porsche enthusiast for many years."

The race to replace Webber is expected to include 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen, who currently stars for Lotus, while Torro Rosso's Australian driver Dan Ricciardo could also be in the frame.